CCI Liaison Ledger

If there were a race to implement
interprofessional education (IPE), the University of Florida (UF) would no
doubt be found near the front of the pack. For 20 years, the school has been
building its program from the ground up and accumulating a wealth of knowledge
about implementation.

The impact of globalization is clearly visible in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where Saudi dental educators are looking abroad for inspiration in designing a contemporary dental school curriculum.Although few ADEA members have firsthand knowledge of the Kingdom, Saudi dental educators are well acquainted with dental education on our shores as many have received their advanced degrees at our institutions.

“We all have a ‘cultural lens’
through which we view the world. A lot of what we perceive as culture starts at
infancy. It comes from the people who raise us.” This is the assessment of Rosa
Chaviano-Moran, D.M.D. Over the years, the Assistant Dean of Student Admissions
and Recruitment at the RSDM has worked with
colleagues to develop cultural competency training for dental students, faculty
and practicing dentists.

To what extent can a dental school address a state’s access-to-oral-health-care problems? A groundbreaking endeavor in North Carolina may one day answer that question. The premise underlying this effort is that access comes from creating an educational environment that selects and prepares students to treat those who most need care.